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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — shares
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chair — a leader
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bank — of a river
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bank — for money
  11. charge — in control
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. charge — a price
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stock — goods
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bank — for money
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chair — to sit on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com